The swimming pool in Shenzhen supplied more captivating headlines on a busy Wednesday at China's 15th National Games.

Shandong's 18‑year‑old breakthrough performer Zhang Zhanshuo confirmed that his junior record in the men's 400-meter freestyle was no fluke, setting a new national junior mark in the men's 200-meter freestyle as well, to top the podium in 1:44.86.

Zhejiang's Pan Zhanle led through the first half of the final, but Zhang surged after the turn and held on to grab the gold medal. Shandong's Ji Xinjie finished with silver while Pan settled for bronze.

Pan's provincial teammate Sun Yang, one of the favorites and a big‑name presence at the country's biggest domestic multi-sport competition, was eliminated following a false start.

Zhejiang's Xu Jiayu continued to dominate his specialty races at the National Games, as the 30-year-old veteran claimed a fourth consecutive men's 100-meter backstroke title in 52.39. Heilongjiang's Wang Gukailai and Shaanxi's Jiang Chenglin rounded out the podium.

On the women's side, Hebei's Li Bingjie won the 1,500-meter freestyle in 15:55.40, her third straight gold in the event, with Henan's Wu Ruoxin taking silver and Zhejiang's Mao Yihan earning bronze.

Shanghai's Tang Qianting touched the wall first in the women's 100-meter breaststroke in 1:05.36, while Hubei's Peng Xuwei collected top honors in the women's 100-meter backstroke in 59.60.